Jamie Soward of the Dragons reacts to an off side call from the kick off during the round three NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the St George Illawarra Dragons. Source: The Daily Telegraph
ASKED yesterday if he would gamble $1 on St George Illawarra at the new price of $101 to win the 2013 title, Dragons legend Johnny Raper didn't hesitate: "Absolutely not.
"I'm disgusted. I hope the players think this is a nice kick up the arse."
Still winless after three rounds, TAB Sportsbet's Glenn Munsie said he couldn't remember the Dragons ever being at bigger odds, with the woeful Warriors even considered a better bet at $81.
"This time two years ago the Dragons were $3 premiership favourites - now they are $101 to win the comp and $7.50 to make the eight," Munsie said.
"Since Wayne Bennett left the club they have never been shorter than $11. It's got to be close on a decade at least since the Dragons have been anywhere near this price so early in the season. I certainly can't remember it."
In fact, the last time the Dragons had a start this bad was in 2005, when they lost their first four games but ended up finishing the regular season second - and were beaten in the preliminary final by eventual premiers Wests Tigers.
But it's also fair to say the Dragons' 2005 roster had a few lengths on this side - with the likes of Trent Barrett, Mark Gasnier, Ben Hornby, Dean Young, Matt Cooper, Michael Ennis, Jason Ryles, Ben Creagh and Lance Thompson to call on.
Coach Steve Price yesterday announced only one change to the side that lost to Canberra last Sunday night - with Daniel Vidot coming in at centre for Chase Stanley. But Price kept Jamie Soward and Nathan Fien in the halves, which is a real worry if Andrew Johns is any sort of judge.
St George Illawarra coach Steve Price talks with some of his senior players. Picture: Gregg Porteous
"(Soward's) major strength was his kicking game," Johns told Radio Triple M. "Going back when he played Origin two years ago it was the best in the competition by a country mile.
"Even his kicking now has gone off, his confidence is way down, his defence is way down.
"I understand the young guy they have bought from Manly, Josh Drinkwater, isn't performing that well in NSW Cup - so at the moment, I don't know.
"Whether they sign Dugan and maybe move Gerard Beale to five-eighth, they need something to spark them."
Peter Sterling added: "There is effort there, I suppose, but they just can't score points. I would actually put Brett Morris back to fullback and move Beale into the halves and I'd find another winger. Something has got to give because it was a winnable game (against Canberra) and in the end they really never looked like winning."
There was speculation if the Dragons miss out on Dugan - as expected - they might try and sign Gold Coast's Jordan Rankin.
But Rankin hardly seems the player to get them out of this mess, given that he can't crack a start at the Titans.
Soward has been left to wear much of the criticism but he is not solely to blame for what's gone wrong this season because the people in charge should have known Fien was never going to be a long-term solution following Ben Hornby's retirement.
Fien was initially signed by the Dragons in 2009 to play hooker and, at 33, it seems a bit much to ask him now to turn back the clock.
Soward is a player who plays best off the cuff and needs a halves partner who can organise to complement him. In fairness, Price did lose Kyle Stanley during pre-season and he was banking on Stanley to play in the halves.
But NRL is not a game where excuses wash for long.
Raper said he didn't blame the coach - but said of the players: "They have let down so many people. Their supporters, the club and themselves. It is a matter of pride. Having pride in the emblem."
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